Burial casket



Aug. 25, 1936.

C. M. COALTRI'N BURIAL GASKET 2 Sheets-She't 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1955 Char/es M Coal fiz'w,

9 fWMwwwwMMMWEWMMvwMQ 2 BURIAL CASKET C. M. COALTRIN Filed Feb. 4, 1955 l W M 6 M5 if 1M)" Aug. 25, 1936.

Patented Aug. 25, 1936 PATENT OFFICE BURIAL CASKET Charles M. Coaltrin, Noblesville, Ind. Application February 4, 1935, Serial No. 4,973 6 Claims. (01. 240-2) 'This-invention' relates to burial caskets, and hasfor its primary object the provision of novel and improved means for illuminating the interior of a casket so that a more or less subdued light is projected upon the corpse within the casket.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a burial casket with illuminating means ofthe above kind adapted to also more brightly illuminate the surroundings of the casket and particularly above the latter, whereby a room in which the casket is located may be indirectly lighted and shadows produced in the immediate proximity to the casket along with the subdued light projected onto the corpse.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a burial casket with illuminating means of the above kind including a lamp mounted within and rigidly attached to the lid or cover "of the casket soas to be covered and concealed by the translucent textile material with which the lid or cover of the casket is lined, thereby providing more durability and neat appearance.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a burial casket with illuminating means charactized as specified above, and wherein an attachment plug receptacle is carried by the lid or cover of the casket to facilitate ready connection of the lamp with a source of electricity, the lamp being connected with said attachment plug receptacle by conductors concealed within the casket lid or cover behind the lining of the latter.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a casket with its lid or cover in open position and equipped with illuminating means embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view thereof, partly broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modification of the invention; and

Figure 5 is another view similar to Figure 3 showing a still further modification of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates the body of a casket, and 6 the lid or cover thereof which is hinged to the body of the casket at I, so that it may be swung upwardly into a substantially vertical position as shown. The lid or cover 6 may be retained in the vertical open position by any suitable means, such as the cord 8. The inner surface of the cover 6 is covered with a lining of. textile material 9, such as puffed satin so arranged as to produce a decorative effect. As usual, the lid or cover 6 is of somewhat con- 5 cave or hollow form.

In accordance with the present invention, one or more lamps is or are rigidly secured to the inside of the casket lid or cover 6 behind the textile lining 9 so as to be completely covered by the 10 latter, the lamps causing the lining to bulge as at Iii without destroying the decorative effect of the lining. Each lamp consists of a casing H rigidly fastened directly to the cover 6 and containing a socket 12 for reception of an ordinary incan- 15 descent. lamp bulb l3. As shown in Figure 1,

twolamps may be provided, one adjacent each end of the cover 6. An attachment plug receptacle I4 is also carried by the lid or cover 6 so as to be exposed through the outer surface of the latter at a desired point, and the terminals of this plug receptacle are connected to the respective terminals of the lamp socket [2 by means of conductors l5 :concealed within the lid behind the lining 9; 'Thus,current may be conveniently supplied to the bulbs [3 by means of an attachment cord l6 having an attachment plug 1 at one end adapted to be plugged into the receptacle [4, the attachment cord I6 being readily concealable from the View of persons in front of 30 the casket.

In the construction of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the lamp casing or reflector l I has an opened upwardly and forwardly inclined lower portion through which the rays from lamp bulbs [3 may 35 be projected through the lining 9 downwardly and forwardly directly onto the corpse, as indicated by the beam lines l8. By using a lamp bulb l3 of the proper candle power, the rays of light therefrom will be properly subdued by the lining 9 in passing through the latter, so that a relatively soft light will be thrown upon the corpse. The construction of Figure 5 is substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, except that the casing or reflector of each lamp also has a top opening as at H! through which the rays of light from lamp bulbs I3a may pass forwardly and upwardly to illuminate the surroundings of the casket indirectly so that shadows are produced in the immediate proximity of the casket. Also, a suitable screen 20 may be employed for the opening in the upwardly and forwardly inclined side of the casing or reflector Ila. of the lamps in this embodiment of the invention, so that a more subdued light will be projected onto the corpse than that projected above the casket through the opening l9.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4, the corpse and the surroundings of the casket are entirely illuminated by indirect lighting, the lamp casing lib being only open at the top as at [911 so that the rays from the lamp bulb I3b will all be projected upwardly above the easket, but so that some of said rays will strike the lining 9 of the cover 6 as indicated at 2|, and reflected by such lining as indicated at 22 down wardly onto the corpse. With this arrangement a decidedly subdued light is reflected onto the corpse while a more intense or brighter light is projected upwardly to indirectly and more brightly illuminate the room in which the casket is located, as indicated at 23.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. ,Also, it is obvious that the exact details of construction shown and described may be varied within certain limits without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a burial casket, the combination with the body and the cover of said casket, and a textile lining for said cover, of a lamp having a casing secured to said cover behind said lining so as to be completely covered by the latter, said lamp being arranged to project rays of light through said lining for illuminating purposes when the cover of the casket is open.

2. In a burial casket, the combination with the body and lid of the casket, and a textile lining for said lid, of a lamp having a casing secured to said lid behind said lining so as to be completely covered by the latter, said lamp being arranged to project rays of light downwardly and forwardly through said lining.

3. In a burial casket, the combination with the body and lid of the casket, and a textile lining for said lid, of a lamp having a casing secured to said lid behind said lining so as to be completely covered by the latter, said lamp being arranged to project rays of light downwardly and forwardly through said lining and upwardly and forwardly through said lining to respectively i1- luminate a corpse in the body of the casket and the surroundings of said casket.

4. In a burial casket, the combination with the body and lid of the casket, and a textile lining for said lid, of a lamp having a casing secured to said lid behind said lining so as to be completely covered by the latter, said lamp being arranged to project rays of light downwardly and forwardly through said lining and upwardly and forwardly through said lining to respectively illuminate a corpse in the body of the casket and the surroundings of said casket, and means associated with said lamp to subdue the rays of light which are projected downwardly and forwardly.

5. In a burial casket, the combination with the body and the cover of said casket, and a textile lining for said cover, of a lamp having a casing secured to said cover behind said lining so as to be completely covered by the latter, said lamp being arranged to project rays of light through said lining for illuminating purposes when the cover of the casket is open, an attachment plug receptacle carried by and exposed through the outer surface of said cover, and conductors connecting said attachment plug receptacle with the source of light of said lamp and concealed between the cover and said lining.

6. In a burial casket, the combination with the body of the casket, a concave lid for said casket body, and a textile lining for said lid, of a lamp having a casing secured to said cover between the latter and said lining and arranged to project rays of light forwardly and upwardly against the lining above the lamp and upwardly and forwardly beyond said lid, to respectively project light upon a corpse in the body of the casket and to illuminate the surroundings oi. the casket by indirect lighting.

CHARLES M. COALTRIN. 

